Easter Sunday returns to the Hollywood Bowl

The Greenbergs didn’t make it to Bel Air Presbyterian’s Easter service at the Hollywood Bowl this morning—the consequence of this being L.A. and my forgetting we would need a ticket. But I did get mentioned a Patch.com story about the service’s return after taking last year off because finances were lacking.

Here’s a brief story about Easter’s resurrection at the Bowl, via KPCC:

The Hollywood Bowl hosted its first sunrise service on Easter Sunday 90 years ago. The sunrise tradition continued until last year, when organizers suspended it because they couldn’t raise enough money.

“we actually stepped in and helped financially two years before that,” Brewer said of Bel Air Presbyterian. ” But then we couldn’t last year because the expense for ourselves and the economy kind of fell off the ledge.”

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Brewer adds that the non-denominational service attracts people who don’t usually observe Easter.

“Many of our Jewish and Muslim and Hindu and Buddhist friends, and just even L.A. pagans, they’re curious about this Christian thing,” says Brewer. “They don’t feel safe going into a church because they’re afraid you’re gonna jump them and baptize them. But, they like coming to the Bowl. Because it’s such a beautiful setting and they get to see what this Christian thing is all about.”

I wonder how many pagans really show up for the Easter service. I’m not calling my pastor a liar. Certainly not. But I have to imagine the numbers of non-Christians or at least non-Easter-Christians has to be awfully small.

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